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South African batsman JP Duminy has retired from domestic cricket ahead of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

The 35-year-old will also call time on his ODI career after the CWC in England and Wales, which begins late this month.

Duminy will continue to be available for T20 cricket for South Africa and in international leagues, including the Mzansi Super League.

The batsman has spent much of the summer on the sidelines, recovering from surgery on his injured right shoulder, though he returned to competitive cricket with the World Sports Betting Cobras and was part of the squad that reached both the domestic One-Day and CSA T20 Challenge semifinals.

Duminy scored 6,774 runs, including 20 hundreds and two doubles, with his top score of 260 not out coming in his final first-class game for the Cobras at Boland Park just over three years ago. He has also scored 7,408 runs in 269 List A games at an average of 38.78.

While his rehabilitation and conditioning work on his right shoulder meant that Duminy could not be part of the early stages of Cobras’ CSA T20 Challenge campaign, he returned to play in their last three matches, his last game for the Cobras being the semifinal defeat to Warriors in East London.

It is no rocket science that the batting of the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras has not clicked and that they have been very inconsistent throughout the CSA T20 Challenge-tournament.

“We need to step up as a batting unit, including myself,” said JP Duminy about the semi-finals of the CSA T20 Challenge on Wednesday against the Warriors at Buffalo Park in East London.

Duminy said the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras have not often put partnerships together and have consequently often been in rebuilding phases.

According to Duminy, “We have had good discussions and the top-six have claimed responsibility to put runs on the board. And I need to lead that in the semi-finals.”

“It is an opportunity to step up and I would like to see myself do that in the next game.”

In their previous two matches, the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras scored 133 and 121, and in both matches lost wickets at regular intervals.

Duminy is a world-class T20 batsman and has played with renewed freedom and success upon returning to the South African One Day International team recently.

“We definitely have the make-up to score 160 to 180 runs. We must determine what the conditions are in East London and if the conditions allow you to play a certain brand which allows you to score between 160 and 180, then we need to identify that as early as possible and play accordingly,” Duminy added.

The bowling has generally been good throughout the tournament, with Vernon Philander and Rory Kleinveldt the stand-out performers.

https://capecobras.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/TL_1558964.jpg36485472David Brookehttps://capecobras.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/World-Sports-Betting-Cape-Cobras-horizontal-2017.pngDavid Brooke2019-04-30 15:36:122019-04-30 15:36:12Duminy: We need to step up as a batting unit

Standard Bank Proteas all-rounder, JP Duminy, will bid farewell to the PPC Newlands faithful when he makes his final home One-Day International (ODI) appearance in the fifth Momentum ODI against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Duminy will retire from the 50-over format after the ICC Cricket World Cup in the UK later this year, but will continue to be available for the Proteas in T20 International (T20I) cricket.

Duminy, who announced his retirement from Test and First-Class cricket in 2017 to put more focus on his white-ball cricket, feels ‘the time is right’ to close this chapter of his international career. Saturday’s match will be a fitting farewell for a respected and admired servant of the game in front of the avid local fans and at a place he calls home.

“The last few months on the sidelines have given me an opportunity to re-assess my career going forward and to plot some goals I’d like to achieve in the future,” he said. “While a decision like this is never easy, I also feel that it is the right time for me to pass on the baton. I will still be available to play international and domestic T20 cricket, but would also like to invest more time towards my growing family, who are my number one priority. I have been privileged to live out my dream playing a sport I love, and I am forever grateful for the support I have received from my team mates, coaches, family, friends and fans throughout the years.”

Notes

Duminy will address the media at PPC Newlands on Friday, 15 March at approximately 12h00.

Adien Markarm returns to the Standard Bank Proteas ODI squad for the final two Momentum One-Day International matches against Sri Lanka on the back of his outstanding recent form that included back-to-back centuries that have helped propel his Multiply Titans franchise to the top spot on the Momentum One-Day Cup log.

The squad also features the return of experienced hands Hashim Amla and JP Duminy. The latter has made a successful comeback for the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras after being out of action for several months following shoulder surgery.

“Experience is always a key factor in major tournaments such as the ICC Men’s World Cup,” commented Cricket South Africa National Selection Panel Convener (CSA NSP) Linda Zondi. “It is great to see how well JP has regained his best form after being out of action for so long.

“What has also been highly encouraging is see how well the Proteas have played when they have returned to franchise cricket. It is important that they should dominate at this level and that their skills should rub off on our emerging talent.

“JP, Aiden and Dwaine Pretorius have all made significant contributions to their franchises in recent matches.

“We will use the final two matches in the ODI series to continue to examine all the options that are available to us as far as the World Cup squad is concerned,” concluded Mr. Zondi.

A riveting 162-run unbroken partnership between Janneman Malan and JP Duminy drove the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras to an impressive eight-wicket Momentum One-Day Cup victory over the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.

The pair batted for 20.2 overs after they came together with their side in a little bit of early trouble on 58 for two chasing a massive 219 in a rain-reduced affair at the City Oval.

Malan was the main man for the visitors, carrying them through from start to finish with his fourth List A century. He eventually ended on 115 off 83 balls (15 fours, 1 six), with captain Duminy offering able support with 74 (56 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) – Ashwell Prince’s side winning with 12 deliveries to spare.

Earlier, it was Sarel Erwee who powered the home side with an impressive unbeaten 116 from 82 deliveries (13 fours, 4 sixes), although his career-best effort proved a mere consolation for the KwaZulu-Natal franchise.

It was their second loss of the season and one that saw them miss the opportunity to climb top of the table.

A wet outfield at the start had forced the entire morning to be lost, with the umpires eventually reducing the game to a 28-over per side affair.

The hosts batted first after losing the toss and they made the worst possible start by losing Morne van Wyk for a second over duck.

But Vaughn van Jaarsveld (38) and Khaya Zondo (29) hung around for long enough to allow Erwee to complete his second career ton.

Rory Kleinveldt finished as the best of the bowlers with two for 41, while Dane Paterson bagged two for 48.

The Cobras’ reply began on the wrong foot with Pieter Malan (18) and George Linde (8) falling early, before Janneman Malan and Duminy, in his third match since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off, got together.

Their third-wicket stand knocked the stuffing out of the Dolphins and took the Cobras to a priceless win.

“Proteas all-rounder JP Duminy’s throwing is not strong enough as a result of his shoulder injury and he won’t be considered for selection for the match against the VKB Knights on Tuesday,” says Shane Jabaar, physiotherapist of the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras.

“Duminy’s batting is looking as strong as ever but he feels uncertain about his bowling and his fielding. He prides himself in his throwing arm and his ability to throw himself around in the field,” said coach Ashwell Prince.

“He wants to make sure he can field as good as ever, and bowl,” he added.

Prince spoke candidly about the loss against the Warriors: “If we are honest, we scored a decent 276 runs, but we were probably 15 runs too short. Every time we got going with the bat against the Warriors, we lost a wicket. We could have compiled one partnership of 150 and one of a hundred. If we did that, a score of 300 instead of 276 would have been within reach,” Prince said.

“We had a couple of 50-, 60- and 70-run partnerships which could have been converted into something more substantial.”

Prince said there was ring rustiness visible in the first game in the death bowling and the fielding.

“It let us down a bit. When you play in a four-day match, much of the fielding is about the ability of the wicketkeeper and two of three slips to be accurate, but in a one-day game there is more movement on the boundary and ability to get to the ball, which needs to be secure.”

In other injury news, “George Linde had a hamstring niggle after the opening match against the Warriors, but practiced on Friday and Sunday. He is making fantastic progress and will be available for selection in Bloem,” said Jabaar.

“Mthiwekhaya Nabe, fast bowler of the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras, has a suspected rib fracture, and will probably be only considered for the 1st March-match, whilst batsman Simon Khomari, has a severe chronic rotator cuff injury which causes a dysfunction of the movement pattern. He is making good progress though,” Jabaar said.

All-rounder Dayyaan Galiem will have his five stitches removed from his foot and will be reassessed in the week week.

Standard Bank Proteas batsman, Dean Elgar, has been added to the One-Day International (ODI) squad to take on Zimbabwe in the three-match series starting in Kimberley on Sunday. Elgar replaces World Sports Betting Cape Cobras’ opener, Hashim Amla, who has been ruled out of the series due to a finger injury.

Commenting on the injury, team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee said: “ Hashim sustained a tear to the tendon in his left fifth digit while fielding during the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League. The injury will need up to three weeks to heal making him unavailable for the series against Zimbabwe.

Cape Cobras’ white-ball cricket captain, JP Duminy has also been announced as the stand-in captain for the One-Day series in the absence of Faf du Plessis, who failed to recover in time from a shoulder injury suffered in the recent 3-2 ODI series victory against Sri Lanka.

“The CSA medical committee has also withdrawn Faf from the ODI series. He has not made a satisfactory recovery from his shoulder injury and has been given more time to make a complete recovery. We are hopeful he will be fit enough to return to lead the T20 side for the three-match series against Zimbabwe.” Dr. Moosajee concluded.

CSA National Selection Panel (NSP) convener, Linda Zondi, says Elgar’s recent form and experience will be added value at the top of the order.

“We have said that the Zimbabwe series is an opportunity to further explore our ODI options and the unfortunate injury to Hashim gives us an opportunity to see what Dean is capable of in the limited-overs format. He has always been on our radar having put in consistent performances both in South Africa and the UK, and brings a wealth of valuable experience to the batting group in Hashim and Faf’s absence.”

Keshav Maharaj has been released from the ODI squad and will play for the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in their first round four-day competition fixture against the Multiply Titans starting at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.

After long and careful deliberation, I have decided to retire from first-class and Test match cricket with immediate effect. I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege and opportunity to represent my country in 46 Tests and the WSB Cape Cobras in 108 first-class matches overs the past 16 years. It is an experience that cannot be replaced and one I will always cherish. Test cricket has always been the pinnacle and I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some memorablehighlights with the Proteas and also in first-class matches with the WSB Cape Cobras. In recent years I have been privileged to be a senior member and custodian of a special team environment and culture which has made me very proud.

In the years ahead, my focus will be placed on attaining limited-overs cricket success for South Africa and the WSB Cape Cobras, along with attending to my young family, who have been incredibly supportive and understanding. I will however not be lost to first-class cricket; I have offered my services to the WSB Cape Cobras and the coaching staff as a mentor/consultant and will be involved as they see fit. There are many talented youngsters coming through our domestic system and I would love to help where I can. I’ve had the privilege of working with the squad in this role over the last two weeks and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

I certainly know that my playing career is far from over and my hope is that with the backing of Cricket South Africa, WSB Cape Cobras, team mates, family, friends and supporters, I will be given the opportunity to continue to give my very best to the sport that I love dearly.

JP Duminy, first captain of the Cape Town Knight Riders, has earmarked the rookie of the Global T20 League franchise, Jason Smith, as a future South African player.

He has also highlighted the buy-in of the passionate, knowledgeable and die-hard Mother City fans as a pivotal part of the Knight Riders’ success in the T20 Global League starting on 3rd November at PPC Newlands.

Duminy, officially announced as the captain at the unveiling of the squad by the chief executive officer of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Venky Mysore, at the media centre at Newlands, said he played with Smith two seasons ago at Newlands.

The young Smith struck 50 for the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras in his first Momentum One Day Cup match. After that match, Duminy said he immediately knew of what ilk and steel Smith was made.

“I said to myself after the game: this man will play for South Africa. Already this year, Jason has made his debut for South Africa A.

“He has the capabilities of doing it (playing for South Africa), although he is not completely there yet. It comes with a lot of hard work and sacrifices to play for South Africa. He is one for the future.

He must just make sure he puts in the hard yards, focus on the right things and keeps his feet on the ground,” he said.

Mysore on Sunday highlighted Dale Steyn, Duminy and Chris Gayle as stars with the X-factor – stars who can single-handedly win you matches.

Duminy on Monday said Smith and Tom Curran are two players that might surprise many onlookers as both possess the X-factor.

Smith struck 500 first-class runs last season and captured 20 wickets in franchise-cricket. It included a 100 off 88 deliveries in a Sunfoil Series match against the eventual champions, the VKB Knights.

Curran, whose father, Kevin, represented Natal, Boland and Zimbabwe, nipped out 3-33 in his maiden T20 match for England against South Africa in 2017 and took another two scalps in the next match as England ran out winners by 2-0.

“Tom is still a young kid with great opportunities to showcase his skills at this level,” said Duminy.

Duminy said getting buy-in from the local community and practicing in the local community is vital. “Performance plays a big part.

Winning is crucial, so if you quickly string together winning performances, you will fill the stadium as you have a very loyal Cape Town-based crowd who loves to support a Newlands-based team,” Duminy said.

The skipper also applauded the initiative to introduce a Global T20 league. “The beauty of this international format is that it has now been introduced and it is crucial for domestic cricket.

“Just look what impact the Indian Premier League had on Indian cricket. They are the number 1 ranked test team in the world. The T20 Global League will play a major part in promoting our domestic system.”

Duminy said the team will have to buy into a specific style or brand of how they want to win games, and must consistently stick with it, especially if the team keeps on winning.

His role is to be a servant, to receive buy-in from the other players and to make sure every player is in a safe space.

Duminy is rated as a world-class T20 player, having scored 1683 runs at an average of 38.25 at a strike-rate of 124.29 in 71 matches.

He has also captured 17 wickets and is a superb, athletic fielder.

Earlier, Jacques Kallis, one of South Africa’s best players of all time, was unveiled as head coach of the Cape Town Knight Riders.

He described PPC Newlands as the best ground with the finest fans in the world. Kallis struck nine test centuries at the ground.

Kallis said in a one-on-one interview the team, in its style or brand, will focus on “different things”.

The team might be aggressively targeting weaker links in the bowling attacks of other teams and attempt an adventurous gung-ho style in the middle-period.

JP Duminy has struck two of his three biggest centuries of his international career for South Africa during the past six tests and has looked like a world-class number-four batsman.

The Buildnat Cape Cobras player featured in a record domestic fifth-wicket stand of 393 last season, and performed very well domestically. But he still battled international consistency in a topsy-turvy season for the Proteas.

He was even dropped against England just before the end of 2015 before returning to the team for the final Test at SuperSport Park at Faf du Plessis’ expense.

But his international resurgence has made friends and foes sit up and notice. He hammered a brilliant 141 against Australia at Perth which aided South Africa in their win recently.

On the opening day of the third Test at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium against Sri Lanka, Duminy struck 155 and shared in a 292-run partnership with Hashim Amla, who scored his 26th century in his 100th Test, a sensational performance by one of South Africa’s greatest ever batting artists.

Reflecting on Duminy’s renewed confidence, Robin Peterson, a former South African player, said Duminy played for the Cobras in that position for most of his career and he revels playing at number four. His positive approach has also paid handsome dividends.

Ashwell Prince, coach of the Buildnat Cape Cobras, said Duminy is a gifted player and at a stage, people lamented that his numbers don’t reflect his real talent.

“I don’t think his performances are due to technical changes. It is about his positive mind-set. He is a gifted player and possesses such good hands.

“That is why he plays the ball so well through the covers and past mid-off.”

Asked about his technique against the short ball, Prince says Duminy generally handles it well. His feet could be narrower together which will make it easier to get out of the way of the ball, but generally that is not an issue.

“People can say you are one of the best in the world, but it is about JP walking onto the field now and believing it and performing,” he added.

“In terms of his technique, I did see something slightly different in that he played with a small trigger movement at the Wanderers.”

Dane Vilas, a former South African wicketkeeper-batsman who played with Duminy while the top and middle order were struggling in India, said Duminy’s greatest asset is just his positivity.

He walks to the crease with the mind-set of dominating.

Vilas, who was part of the squad in Australia recently when South Africa beat Australia 2-1, said Neil McKenzie makes a massive difference to the batsmen in the Proteas team.

“He is such a good guy and the players warm to him. Also, they don’t take it negatively when he suggests a technical change.

“Another factor is that Neil represented the Proteas with great success (he was a Wisden player of the year and scored more than 1000 test runs in 2008 which included a record opening partnership of 415 with Graeme Smith). So players listen to him. He is a vastly experienced former player (who amassed more than 50 first-class centuries).